Daily Times

KARACHI: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has granted power generation licenses to five independent power producers (IPPs); which will add 195 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.

The IPPs that were granted licenses are: NORINCO International Thatta Power (Pvt) Limited (NITPPL), Master Green Energy Limited (MGEL), Lakeside Energy (Private) Limited (LEPL), Ghotki Power (Private) Limited (GPPL), and Mehar Hydropower (Private) Limited (MHPPL).The three of the five IPPs are wind power-based and located in Sindh while one is bagasse-based and one hydel power-based.

Two wind power based projects are at Jhimpir and Gharo, in the province of Sindh. The estimated potential for these two projects is more than 50,000MW. At the moment, around 15 projects with a cumulative installed capacity of around 790MW have been installed and commissioned; whereas another 23 projects including NITPPL with cumulative capacity of around 1250MW are in various stages of implementation.

Chinese based NORINCO International Cooperation Limited, holding 90 percent shares in NITPPL, has established its business network all over the world. Government of Sindh has allocated 2500 acres of land in Jhimpir, for setting up a 100MW wind power plant; to be developed in two phases, 50.00MW in each phase. NEPRA had already granted a license in the name of NITPPL for the phase-I, now NEPRA has granted power generation license to the company for the period of 27 years to execute the phase-II of the project.

NEPRA has granted another power generation license to MGEL for its 50MW wind farm located at Deh Son Walhar, Jamshoro. The main sponsor of the project is Master Group (MG), considered pioneers of bedding industry and manufacturing mattresses in the country. Similarly, the power regulator granted power generation license to LEPL for its 50 generation facility located at Deh Kohistan in Thatta. The sponsors of the project include Naveena Exports Limited and Al Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) limited each holding 50% shares in the project.

Another power generation license was granted to GPPL by NEPRA for its 45MW bagasse-based generation facility located at Goth Islamabad, Ghotki. The GHTKIPPL is a 100% owned subsidiary of JDW Sugar Mills Limited (JDWSML), specifically set up for developing a 45MW bagasse-based power generation facility.

NEPRA granted power generation license to MHPPL for its 10.49MW hydel-based powr generation facility located in Kasur, Punjab. The ATPL is the main sponsor of the project and has been involved in the development of the hydel power plants including 720MW Karot, 545MW Kaigah and 81 MW Malakand-Ill.

Published in Daily Times, November 30^th 2017.